AW16 Menswear Trends

9 Autumn Menswear Trends You Need To Know About Right Now

We hate to do it, but we're calling time on your Hawaiian prints, short shorts and any white denim that might still be hanging around. Sorry about that. Autumn is officially here and, like the leaves and your propensity to gorge on comfort food, your wardrobe is on the turn.

Now, there are some autumn menswear staples that will see you through to the cold months year in, year out. You'll dig out your woollens. Your boat shoes will go in the cupboard and you'll dust off your hiking boots. Your layering game will, y'know, become morelayered.

But there are also smarter trends and smaller touches you can use to stand out from the increasingly chilly crowd. We checked out the catwalks and rifled through the new lines hitting stores to find the most stylish looks for the coming months. These are the big AW16 menswear trends to have in the locker.

Check mate

Marks & Spencer

The fashion industry is never short of a few lines, but for the AW16 shows it was really racking them up as checks stormed the runways. Windowpanes, tartans, Tattersall, Prince of Wales check and everything in between. Combine classic plaid with modern colour treatments for a bold look in urban environments. Raf Simons, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Etro, Gucci, Dior Homme, Brioni… all displayed big checks on big coats so don’t be timid with your outerwear this season. A check coat worn over a suit during the week is an excellent way to shake up the office status quo. Or at the high-street end, take inspiration from Oliver Cheshire and M&S (above), with a check jacket topping off a layered look.

Bomber squad

Topman

The bomber jacket has been the designer’s darling in recent seasons. We’re not surprised – it’s a classic silhouette for a reason: it looks unapologetically masculine and is so versatile to wear. What’s more, bomber jackets appeared at the shows in a really diverse set of styles: suede, silver metallic, satin and leather to name a few, plus military-style patches like the Topman options above. Jil Sander produced a beautiful classic in a muted murky blue and styled it with a simple pair of black tailored trousers and Chelsea boots, so bear that in mind when thinking about smart-casual evening-wear for the weekend. Frankly, a man can’t have enough versions of the bomber jacket in his wardrobe.

Doubling down

Superdry

With overcoats sporting a broadly oversized look this season, none came bigger and bouncier than the down-filled variety. Puffer jackets of all lengths, from cropped at the waist to floor-sweepers were in abundance. Moncler is of course the go-to name for puff pieces but this season the likes of Burberry, Ami and Dior Homme were following suit. Away from the catwalk, Superdry's new collaboration with Idris Elba (above) is also well worth a look. Styling-wise, they’re a cinch because they cover just about everything else you’re wearing! For some visual impact, try wearing a big puffer open with a funky knit underneath to add a textural contrast.

Military pomp

Joe Browns

Military clothing has always been the font from which poured sartorial fashions so it’s with some delight that we see a return to pomp for this autumn. Epaulettes, brocading, brass and gold buttons, badge motifs and side stripes on trousers were all present in various ways, especially at Dries Van Noten and Balmain. To pull off the military look, the secret is in a nicely waisted cut in a jacket to accentuate your shoulder width and give you an imposing stature (check out the natural V-shape that Joe Browns will lend you above). In the case of overcoats, go for the full-length variety with imposing lapels. Don’t think you have to dress smart to wear such an overcoat though – it’s an edgy look pairing it with sneakers and trackpants too.

Stay on track

Reiss

If you’ve been dearly holding on to that Fila or Sergio Tacchini tracksuit from the 90s, it might be time to dust it off because the tracksuit has been a significant blip on the radar of both men’s and womenswear collections in the last year. If you’re not quite ready to go full Chas Tenenbaum, then look to incorporate a tracksuit top into a casual look instead. Gucci presented an awesome geometric print tracksuit for AW16 that you could take your cue from, or check out Neil Barrett’s excellent minimalist version which he paired with black tailored trousers and white lo-fi sneakers. On the high street, Reiss (above) has even styled the the tracksuit-style top under a more formal blazer.

Wild woollens

Jigsaw

Prince Charles was only last month extolling the virtues of wool and we wholeheartedly agree with him. It has so many great properties from tactility and insulation to hygroscopicity (yes, that is a word: it’s a material’s ability to absorb or release moisture as a function of humidity). Designers went big for winter, opting to use knitwear as outerwear in the case of huge shaggy coats at Dolce & Gabbana, Rick Owens and Coach 1941. They’re an excellent way to add contrast and texture to a look and make a bold statement. For a more affordable option, try Jigsaw's oversized, premium-wool overcoat, above.

Copper load

Thom Sweeney

All in all, the AW16 menswear shows followed a pretty dark palette of black, navy and earth tones with pops of bright colours here and there. But one colour that thread its way through many a show was copper, which provided a nice earthy contrast and should definitely be a prominent feature in your autumn wardrobe. If you want to know how to wear it, look no further than Thom Sweeney (above) or the excellent Berluti AW16 collection where it was used to great effect as a contrast to black or combined with other autumnal colours such as navy and burgundy. A simple yet effective option is to wear a copper rollneck sweater beneath a black or grey suit for a really slick contemporary look.

Square pants

House of Fraser

Slouchy trousers have become something of a permanent fixture at the menswear shows over the last couple of years but haven’t quite been translated into the real world. We feel this dam will surely break soon so you should get your wardrobe prepped accordingly. Alexandre Mattuissi’s brand Ami was the perfect advertisement for slouchy pants if ever there was one – beautifully soft flat-fronted wool flannel trousers, wide and long in the leg worn with stunning knitwear, soft tailoring and white lo-fi sneakers. The combination of luxury fabrics inspired by streetwear trends is definitely a look to run with this autumn.

Perky in pink

Topman

Not just salmon pink, or pastel pink, but PINK of the fuchsia variety will be challenging male stereotypes all over the world this autumn after huge splashes of the colour were introduced at Gucci, Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith. In fact, there were plenty of other bangs of colour but pink stood out for us because it is actually a relatively easy colour to assimilate into a look. A pink crew-neck sweater can really upgrade a pair of tailored trousers, or try a pink roll-neck beneath a copper or camel coat this winter for a really confident look. Otherwise, accessorise a business suit with a pink silk scarf to get you immediately noticed in a room.

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